Barcelona ready to reject RECORD offer for star compared to Harry Kane

Robin Bairner

• 6 Jan 2024 13:40 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona will reject any offer that Bayern Munich make for centre-back Ronald Araujo, according to reports.

Bayern have poised to add Eric Dier to their ranks from Tottenham but such is their shortage in the heart of the defence, they are looking for an additional option to aid them.

One of the players who they have been linked to is Araujo, who they see as a player who can have a similar impact in defence as Harry Kane has had in their attack.

Barcelona, though, will not sell the Uruguay international for anything less than a crazy offer.

Araujo’s release clause at Barcelona is set at €1 billion, with Sky Sports Deutschland confirming that there is no other way to release the 24-year-old from his deal at Camp Nou. Previous reports had suggested there might be a lower release fee.

Florian Plettenberg confirmed on X: “Understand there is no release clause in the range of €80-100m! There’s one release clause, officially communicated by FC Barcelona during his contract extension.”

He added that Bayern are willing to pay more than €70m for the player immediately but that Barcelona would not accept a bid even €10m more than that figure.

A fee in excess of €80m would shatter Barcelona’s most expensive January sale, which currently stands at Paulinho’s move to Guangzhou Evergrande in 2019. Remarkably, that is the only January sale that Barca have ever made in excess of €10m.

Bayern determined to secure Araujo

Unfortunately for Barcelona, Bayern Munich are determined to add Araujo to their ranks – even if it takes until the summer.

“Tuchel and Freund are determined to secure him. Internally, his potential transfer for the defensive aspect is being compared to Kane's for the offensive side,” Plettenberg adds.

Araujo, meanwhile, indicated earlier this season that he was unhappy at being used as a right-back, but he has since been shifted back into his favoured central role.